To tempt or inspire....

Aloo Wadiyan (Punjabi)

Wadiyan (also spelled Varian and Badiyan, and called wadi for short) are large balls of dried lentils, peculiar to the cuisine of the Punjab. They are sun dried spicy urad dal balls that serve to spice a dish and also to thicken the gravy. They are very spicy and each bite sends a burst of flavour to your tastebuds. They are also quite meaty in texture, and thus a good option for your non-vegetarian friends.

This dish cooks the wadi and potatoes (and sweet potatoes - my addition) in a tomato-onion-spiced gravy for a relative quick, definitely easy meal. Wadi go very well with potatoes, but can be cooked with other vegetables too.

Here I have used a mixture of potatoes and sweet potatoes, or you can use butternut and potatoes. These mixtures are not really traditional, but work very well in the modern kitchen.

Because the Punjabi wadi are extra spicy 🌶️ , not a lot of other spice is needed in the dish. I sometimes forget this and end up with an EXTRA spicy meal! 🥵 🔥

#food #IndianFood #TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #vegetarian #vegan #EggFree

To tempt or inspire.....

Kasa Kasa Payasam aka Poppy Seed Payasam

Poppy Seed Payasam is a nutty and creamy sweet dish made with white poppy seeds, coconut and saffron simmered in milk and topped with toasted cashews. Payasam is a typical Indian traditional sweet usually made for festivals and as a sweet treat in homes.

Poppy seeds are tiny seeds known as kasa kasa in Tamil. Indian recipes usually use white poppy seeds rather than the black ones, so look for them in your Indian supermarket. They are used for their flavour, texture and thickening qualities.

Did you know that poppy seeds calm the mind and stimulate the digestion? In Ayurveda the taste is pungent, astringent and sweet. Its heating action acts as a vata calmer. Used with nutmeg or valerian they can induce relaxing sleep.

#IndianFood #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #Vegetarian #EggFree

Only for #Aussies, I suspect. Seven-Ingredient Vegemite and Cheese Biscuits

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/food-and-drink/article/recipe-savoury-seven-ingredient-vegemite-and-cheese-biscuits

#CookingAU #vegetarian #EggFree

1/ 🧵 /Eat More Vegan/ Annie Rigg

Following on from the vegetarian cookbook #TheWholeVegetable, is a recently published one that ups the ante to #vegan status.

Eat More Vegan, by Annie Rigg (Make sure you pick up the correct book - there are others with this title)
Published: 2023
Pages: 176
Publisher: Pavilion GB
Price: around $35AU, but look around as prices vary. An eBook is available.

Recipes: 80, all of which are vegan, vegetarian and egg-free.

Annie has written over 15 cookbooks including #EatMoreVeg, a companion book to this one. The dishes in this book take inspiration from all over the globe, with some nice Indian ones as well.

There is quite a bit of protein in the recipes, but there could be more. There is little use of lentils, for example. #TheWholeVegetable did better, I think. There is such a variety of lentils, grains and beans, and even soy bean products besides tofu. There seems little excuse to not have protein in every dish, really.

Yet the dishes are tempting ad look delicious. As expected it is very plant-forward. I love that it makes its own feta replacement using tofu, preserved lemon and nutritional yeast and uses tofu instead of paneer in dishes.

Recommended for a flavourful transition to vegan eating.

(end)

#cookbookReviews #cookbookReview #LTCCookbookReviews #cookbooks #food #vegetarian #EggFree #vegan #EatMoreVegan #AnnieRigg

To tempt or inspire....

Chilli Beans!

Years ago I used to make a chilli dish – the recipe comes from a dear friend who lives in the Grampians. It was a chilli that is often called “Mexican” although it is not, and includes coffee, chocolate and red wine. I gave up making it when I adopted a vegetarian diet. Much later another friend reminded me that chilli without meat is possible – and also delicious.

Elwyn’s Chilli Beans was such a no-fuss recipe – a few essential ingredients cooked at the barely simmering heat level for hours until all was infused with chocolate, coffee, wine and chilli.

The success of a Bean Chilli, with our without meat, is the deep, dark richness of the sauce. I took Elwyn’s recipe and added favourite spices to deepen the flavours, a variety of vegetables to enrich the dish, and some walnuts – I often made enough to feed our street! Luckily it freezes very well. It is quite a “meaty” dish with the walnuts adding a great texture.

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #vegetarian #eggFree

To Tempt or Inspire ....

Way back in Covid lockdown time everyone was baking bread. I was a bit of a laggard – we don’t eat a lot of bread so it was not my first thought. But, 4 months later than everyone else, I saw a recipe that had me visiting my secret supplier of bakers flour and fresh yeast (everywhere else was out of good quality product), and this beautiful loaf was born.

The recipe that excited my bread-baking genes was one from Nigel Slater that includes spelt flour and dry cider! The cider gives it a lovely, almost sour dough, tang. It is mixed with milk for a beautiful soft crust. This was Good Bread!

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #vegetarian #eggFree

From the kitchen tonight....

🥔 It has been a fabulous and so so hectic work day, so tonight I am making the fabulous Potato and Roast Cauliflower Salad with Olives, Feta and Rocket (Arugula). It is from #SixSeasons, by the lovely #JoshuaMcFadden.

📖 The cookbook #TheVegetarianBistro by #MarlenaSpieler has arrived - ordered because someone (forgotten who) mentioned it here on Masto. Thank you - you know who you are.

🇫🇷 It is a book I saw when working in France in the late-ish 1990's and I tried to buy it when I arrived back in Australia. I couldn't find it here. BUT when it was mentioned on Masto, I found a copy in the US, cheap enough that if it didn't arrive it wouldn't matter.

📦 But it did arrive and I am over the moon after all this time. A fabulous book of French recipes without meat, fish or fowl. It will be my evening's reading.

#FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #Vegetarian #EggFree #cooking #cookingAU

From the Kitchen this weekend....

🌶️ Tonight is a mung bean and greens curry on rice with yoghurt and crispy onions, a carrot chutney (HM) and a pickle.

🍚 I chose a short grain rice tonight instead of the usual long grain basmati. Just for a change.

🤗 During the breaks in the soccer last night I pottered in the kitchen to relieve the stress of the game. Oh my goodness! What a game! I made another jar of ginger paste (ginger ground with a little vinegar and salt for preserving).

🐄 And also put 2 litres of yoghurt on to "brew" overnight. Half went in the EasiYo thermos container, and half in the dehydrator on the "yoghurt" setting. I love getting them out and seeing the yoghurt perfectly formed. I suspect the dehydrator works just a tad better, but there is little in it.

🌊 I put some kombu on to soak overnight (hence this thread this morning https://mastodon.au/@LifeTimeCooking/110879772680720733). I used 2 types of kombu, Hidaka and Rausu.

🍲 The kombu soaked overnight, then I bought it slowly to just under a boil, added miso and enjoyed an awesome bowl of miso soup. The best miso soup for a while!

🥙 Also yesterday I made dosai - a quick multigrain one where you mix several flours to a batter, sit for a short while, and make those awesome Tamil flatbreads. See here for deets: https://mastodon.au/@LifeTimeCooking/110874240038358211

🍏 While the dosa batter was resting, I whipped up the best Indian quick chutney ever! Tomato, apple and ginger chutney - spicy and absolutely delicious!

📖 The recipe for the dosa and the chutney (what an excellent pairing) are from #Tiffin by #RukminiSrinivas

🥒 Today's pickles are HM Indian quince oil-based pickles.

#FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #vegetarian #eggFree #indianFood #Cooking #cookingAu #JapaneseFood #food

2/
Just One Cookbook discusses the types of kombu and their uses. This is an excellent site if you love Japanese food.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/kombu/

She also has a way of using kombu after you've made stock from it (although I just eat it): https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-furikake-rice-seasoning/

(And this site has lots of kombu information - how it is made, the types, where in Japan it is made, etc https://www.umamiinfo.com/richfood/foodstuff/kelp.html)

#vegetarian #vegan #EggFree #Kombu #dashi #food

Here is an excellent guide to using kombu and making kombu dashi #JapaneseFood

Kombu is not as available as it once was, sadly, and I purchase mine online. There are different types - and this article refers to them but doesn't list them.

But it does talk about the difference flavours you can get from soaking, simmering and boiling kombu - so rare to see this information.

There are several different types of dashi too. Kombu dashi can be used in place of bonito dashi for vegetarians. As its flavour is different, it can also be chosen for dishes by non-vegetarians.

As a base for miso soup is one excellent way of using kombu dashi. There is also an excellent recipe for oven cooked vegetables in #Nourish by #HollyDavis, where the veg are baked, covered, in a little kombu dashi made by including a piece of kombu and some water. It is most excellent.

It is also excellent with Ramen and all Japanese noodle dishes, as well as rice.

https://www.fromthecomfortofmybowl.com/kombu-dashi/

#vegetarian #vegan #EggFree #Kombu #dashi #food

From the kitchen today.....

A quick roundup today.

🌶️ Although it was a busy day, I was up early to make some veggie pasties for the freezer, for days when I am a Sad Bastard* or for road trips. They look so lovely it was hard to resist eating some today.

🌶️ The tian of spinach, tomato chunky sauce and grilled eggplant was surprisingly delicious, with its bubbly cheese topping. Recipe from #TheFrenchKitchen by #DianeHoluigue

🌶️ And to top it all off was a lovely mushroom risotto. The recipe was from my saved recipe stash. It was good, but not as good as the one in #RiverCafeCookbookTwo, by #RuthGray

🌶️ Plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.

* https://mastodon.au/@LifeTimeCooking/110836387468600675

#FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #cooking #vegetarian #EggFree

From the Kitchen today....

💚 Spinach was on the agenda, and I was reminded how bright green it can get when sauteed. Delicious. Simple, easy, with pine nuts and nutmeg.

💚 Leftovers of the 13 Treasure Happiness Soup - it is always so good you can't stop at one bowl. Two is the absolute minimum. There is enough for tomorrow 🥳

💚 Chilli Paneer 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ Who'd have thought it would be as good as (or better) than some restaurants? 🤦‍♀️ Paneer lightly battered, in a sauce made primarily from (chilli, onion, garlic. red capsicum) with chilli sauce, soy sauce and tomato sauce. That's #IndoChineseFood for you 😋 😋 😋

💚 Oh! My! OH! MY! When the (chilli, onion, garlic. red capsicum) hit the hot oil in the pan - the aromas! I think the street was salivating at my kitchen window.

💚 The recipe is from #ChaiChaatChutney by #ChetnaMakan.

💚 With the paneer was more of the sprouted brown basmati, which is my new love. Found just before the rice crisis hits, so I may never ever find any more 😭 💔

#FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #vegetarian #EggFree #cooking #cookingAU #IndianFood #IndoChinese

Miso soup can be a meal. I am making some tonight with the red miso I picked up today from the Asian (mainly Korean) Supermarket.

WIth noodles, tofu puffs, black beans, mushrooms. Garlic, coriander leaves, ginger. Yuba (dried tofu) shards. Chopped cucumber and shredded carrots. Kimchi. A touch of toasted sesame oil. A tiny tiny drop of rice wine vinegar.

I love my miso bowls.

#food #miso #vegetarian #eggFree

To tempt or inspire....

3-Cheese Eggplant Bake

This is a gorgeous baked dish with eggplants, cream and 3 soft cheeses. It is made without eggs and the result is an addictive dish with a thick set custard-like consistency.

The recipe is an adapted version of #Ottolenghi’s Eggplant Cheesecake from #PlentyMore. I have made it egg-free. If you want to check the original recipe have a look here https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/mar/06/aubergine-cheesecake-vegetarian-recipe-ottolenghi.

My version is a soft dish that is spooned from the baking dish onto serving plates. Perfect for lunch with a lemony salad of bitter leaves and fresh herbs.

Ottolenghi says "Like all good cheesecakes, tucking into this is so effortless and soothing that it’s easy to forget yourself and just gobble up more and more. And, like a sweet cheesecake, it’s also a bit of a no-brainer that yields very impressive results."

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #vegetarian #eggFree

🧵 /3 END / Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep/ Jackie Sobon

This is a book for all Veg*ns and people wanting more plant-based food in their diet. You'll love it if you are starting out on that journey, but also if you are a seasoned home cook. The details are so freeing - it is all laid out for you.

I think I will start with the Mushroom Onion Burgers, but there are also good recipes for buckwheat and tempeh. Fabulous!

BTW, the pics are lovely, the paper is glossy so difficult to scribble notes with an ink pen (and perhaps pencil too). The book lies flat when open. It doesn't have an inbuilt bookmark ribbon.

#cookbookReviews #cookbooks #cookbookReview #LTCCookbookReviews #cooking #PlantBasedMealPrep #JackieSobon #Vegan #Vegetarian #EggFree

🧵 /2 / Vegan Yack Attack's Plant-Based Meal Prep/ Jackie Sobon

There are 6 weekly menus for one person - how many cookbooks include meals for 1 these days?? - and mostly these would be scalable for 2 and perhaps up to 4.

They are followed by meal plans for couples, families or just room mates. It takes a mix-and-match approach with 7 menus, each with 5 days worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.

The same detailed approach is used, detailing, for each week, the equipment you'll need, what you'll be making, what to do on the pre-prep day (things you can make ahead). Sadly, no shopping lists in this chapter, but you could construct your own as you cycle through the menus.

The dishes also make use of the almost-out-of-fashion Instant Pot, but they are easily convertible to stove-top cooking.

There are also some intriguing recipes (in a good way).

I quite love this book.

#cookbookReviews #cookbooks #cookbookReview #LTCCookbookReviews #cooking #PlantBasedMealPrep #JackieSobon #Vegan #Vegetarian #EggFree

In this house, leftovers often get turned into something else. Tonight, left over khichdi cooked with beans and shiitake was mixed with parmesan and chickpea flour (and some water) to make OMG delicious patties. Fried until brown on both sides and served with a drizzle of tomato sauce. Excellent.

#noWaste #FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #Vegetarian #eggFree

To tempt or inspire....

Two Bean and Two Lime Salad

We once had a strange green bean growing – its pod was green with flecks of red. It was delicious, as all green beans are, and perfect for this salad.

You can of course use any green bean – the beans can be paired with either edamame, younger broad beans or even peas. The key to the salad is a beautiful dressing made with lime zest, lime juice, coriander, mint, garlic and chillies! Oh, yes, you just might get excited.

Once the beans are trimmed, it is quite simple to make. Of course it is, it is from #Ottolenghi’s book #Simple. 10 ingredients, quick and it can be made ahead.

In the book it uses fresh limes and makrut lime leaves. Online he jazzes it up with some dried lime powder. It doesn't have the same dressing either. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/21/lime-recipes-salad-soup-beans-stew-yotam-ottolenghi

#TemptOrInspire #FromTheArchives #FromTheKitchen #vegetarian #eggFree

A quick update From the Kitchen today....

🍞 From the Oven tonight - right now, making the house smell of fresh baked bread - a round ring of Fennel Seed and Salt Bread. I used poppy seed, fennel seed, ajwain and celery seed. Yum.

🍲 Just perfect to have with the Lima Bean Tomato Soup with Tofu Puffs.

#FromTheKitchen #cookingAU #cooking #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #food #vegetarian #eggFree

From the Kitchen today.....

More or less a quiet day in the kitchen today.

🍚 But I did make an awesome Khichdi (kichari) with the sprouted brown Basmati rice that I picked up the other day. With mung dal, spices, and I added sliced soaked shiitake mushrooms and the left over yuba (dried bean curd) from yesterday. And for good luck, the last of the green beans from the freezer.

IT WAS AWESOME. The sprouted brown basmati is really good. (Soaked as per instructions before using.)

🍚 I like my khichdi cooked South Indian style - until it is past porridgey and is a beautiful, spicy mash.

🥛 And tonight I will be sipping an Ayurveda Tonic Milk - made with soaked dates and almonds, coconut, saffron, cardamom, honey. Blended until warm (or warm the milk first then blend with the rest). It is very relaxing. And delicious. Almond milk can be used.

#FromTheKitchen #WhatIAmCooking #WhatIAmEating #Vegetarian #EggFree